I Love the Way You Lie
by Silver-'-Doe290s
Summary: Bran wakes up at midnight to find a very dead-looking Rue in his room. With his help she manages to fit in but she has a secret she won't tell anyone. Does she knows more about how she arrived in Westeros than she's letting on? Bran/Rue because it's cute. Rated T just in case.
1. An Unexpected Guest

**A/N: I don't own a Song of Ice and Fire, the Hunger Games, or the song this fic is named after. Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought Bran and Rue would be cute together.**

* * *

****It was true that Bran had been having strange dreams later. Very strange dreams. However, until now none of them had involved a very dead-looking girl seemingly appearing out of thin air. If it had been anyone else who had appeared like that, he woud probably have alerted the whole castle, but this girl was too young to possibly be a threat. In fact, she reminded him of his sister Arya: small and slight, wearing boy's clothes from head to toe... well, she looked like he imagined Arya might if she had dark skin and light brown eyes. And if Jaime Lannister had suddenly taken a violent dislike to her. _Now, where did_ that_ thought come from?_

"Who - " he asked, at the same time the girl asked, "Where - " They stared at each other for a few seconds, until she looked away.

"I'm Rue."

"Bran. Bran Stark. You're in Winterfell." He noticed she had given no last name. Possibly she was a bastard and did not want that to be revealed. Or possibly she didn't know what her last name _was_ - it happened sometimes, when people grew up without their parents. Whatever her last name was, she did not look too good. She had blood splattered all over her clothes, and tear stains on her cheeks.

"No offense, but you look like you should be dead."

"I _should_ be dead. I have no idea what I'm doing here." The girl winced. He didn't blame her. It couldn't be comfortable knowing you might very well be a ghost. She seemed perfectly solid, though. He remembered the stories Old Nan had told him about the dead coming walking. But they were supposed to have blue eyes, cold, piercing blue eyes, and they were only supposed to live on the other side of the Wall.

"Well, there will certainly be some questions asked when everyone wakes up and they find you here."

"We need to tell them something." Her response was immediate. He supposed it was only natural for her not to want people to know the truth. Noone would feel easy around her if they did. Yet somehow he trusted her. _Too much damn resemblence._

"First of all, we'll need to get you into some proper girl's clothes. And you'll need to clean yourself up a bit. Call yourself Rue Martell. We can pass you off as Father's ward: You left off before hearing news of his death, and once you did you were almost here so you didn't want to turn back. You got lost and this was the first room you came to. It won't work on Mother or Robb, but it'll be a while before they come back from the Riverlands and by then maybe we'll think of a way to get you back to where you came from."

"I - I don't want to go back."

"You can't stay here forever. Put on one of Arya's dresses, they should fit you. Third room across the hallway. Then go to the kitchen - down one flight of stairs, you'll see it immediatly - and scrub your face a bit." She nodded wordlessly, then hesitated.

"Will you come with me?"

"No. Can't." He offered no more explanation than that and Rue sensed he didn't want to say any more, so she didn't force the issue. Then she gave a sudden giggle.

"This Arya you speak of will get the shock of her life if she wakes up to see a random stranger making off with her clothes." Bran couldn't help but grin back, but then his face saddened.

"She won't. She's not here."

* * *

Ten minutes later she was back, looking much more presentable in a pale rose gown, with her hair combed back neatly and left loose over her shoulders. She had lit a candle so she could see, but it was starting to burn out. She could barely stiffle a yawn, and neither could Bran.

"Stay here for the night, at least. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do in the long run."


	2. Friends

**A/N: Please review, people. Come on, it's not _so_ hard, is it? ((I'll want at least one review before updating.))  
**

* * *

Rue blinked groggily. Bran was still asleep besides her, and she didn't want to disturb him so she stayed in bed. Her dress was rather ruffled, but otherwise she looked pristine. And intirely unlike herself. She had never worn a dress before except on reaping days, and those were days she would much rather forget.

She wished she could sleep as deeply as Bran, but every time she closed her eyes nightmares leapt up at her - some about the Games, some about what had happened after, most about the family she had left behind - so she had resolved to stay awake until morning and so far she had managed to catch herself every time her eyes closed, but she was not sure how much longer she could last so she was relieved to see the sun creeping up over the west horizon. She looked back over at the sleeping figure and felt an immense pang of guilt, for she knew she had been meant to arrive here, with him. And she knew the Capitol would get what they wanted. _The best way to keep a secret is not to think of it at all. __I'm so sorry, Bran. They blakmailed me._ As if he could hear her thoughts, Bran stirred in his sleep, then sat up.

"Good - yawn - morning, Rue." He murmer sleepily. Rue smiled. Damn her, she was getting to like the boy and it couldn't be helped.

* * *

Rue put her story into practice at the breakfast table. Realising he had never mentioned what relation exactly she _had_ to the Martells Bran, thinking fast, made her out to be Arainne's cousin; to avoid awkward questions she wouldn't know the answer to, he said she had been travelling for a while before coming here, though never where. That should deflect most awkwardities well enough. Rue was nothing but inquisitive. She asked all the questions she could get away with without her lack of knowledge being revealed, and Bran was sure she would ask all the questions that remained in private. Mostly he asked about him and his family.

"Well, there's Arya and Sansa; Arya's missing but I'm sure she's fine, and Sansa is a ward of the Lannister's. Rickon is here with me, but he's only three. Mother and Robb - _King_ Robb - are out being royal, I guess. Jon - well, Jon is only my half-brother, but still - Jon is on the wall. Father... Father went south... the Lannisters had him executed for treason, but the charge was false."

"You must miss them."

"I do. So much."

She lowered her voice so only he could hear her.

"Bran... Why are you helping me?"

"Because... well, I suppose you remind me of Arya, and myself a little. At least, myself the way I was _before_."

"What's she like? Arya?"

"She's... a free spirit. Wild. Untamed. Passionate. And... rather naive, though in a different way from Sansa, who dreams of romance... Arya thinks that if she tries to break free, she can. I suppose if anyone can, it's her, though." Rue just nodded.

"And... Bran? If I wanted to stay here... could I?"

"If you wanted to..."

We talked some more. I told her about my life, but she managed to deflect all the questions about her. She had three siblings; she was the eldest. Her brother was second. She loved singing and climbing. The only real response Bran got out of her was when he asked her to sing something. She clenched her fists and looked away, and for a moment there were tears in her eyes. Then she whispered "Later" in a low, hoerse voice and ate the rest of the food in silence.

* * *

The room emptied. Rue got up as well, but Bran stopped her.

"It's later."

"Well, I suppose I owe it to you." She sighed and took a deep breath.

"_Deep in the meadow..._" Her voice was sweet and soft, carrying the tune perfectly. Then she ran out of the room, leaving him behind.

* * *

"Rue. Are you okay?" Rue was lieing on the bed, sobbing silenlty.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just, that song brought up some memories... I'll miss her. She was the big sister Inever had."

"I understand."

"Thank you," she whispered, then flung her arms around him. He found he was crying as well.

"I know what it's like, to lose someone you care about."

"Can you... tell me what happened?" Bran told her everything, from Eddard leaving Winterfell to the incident in the tower to Robb being crowned. She continued to hold him tightly, and he found himself hugging her in return.


	3. Secrets?

**PLEASE REVIEW! Please? Pretty please? A huge thanks to my only reviewer so far.**

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Rue slept in Arya's room that night. It was untidy, and a bundle of wilted flowers lay sprawled across the desk. It felt like... home.

When she fell asleep she dreamt Bran had found out. She tried to explain but he said nothing, just gave her a cold, icy, betrayed look. Then she was taken back to 11 and forced to watch helplessly as her brother was reaped and no-one would volunteer. "_Brandon Stark... stark... stark..." No... I can't... I can't... I can't!  
_"...Can't... can't... can't..." She open her eyes abruptly. Just a dream. And she would not let it come true. She would distance herself from Bran as much as she could without him becoming suspicious and giving her away. _They've made me into a monster. A small victory, I suppose, over the riots Katniss started after my death. And there's nothing I can do about it._

* * *

Bran didn't understand what he'd done. That morning Rue had been perfectly polite to him over breakfast, but in a cold, removed way that lacked her previous warmth. She didn't giggle. She didn't ask questions. She just ate, and answered when spoken to.

Meera and Jojen Reed, he realised, had been staring at her. She had noticed too, and looked uncomfortable about it, so he caught their gaze and they looked away from her. Then he looked at Rue and she looked away, too.

"Would you like to come riding in the Godswood with me today? I can show you around. I think you'd like it."

"Yes, thank you, Bran." He sighed. She'd been acting like this all morning. It was frustrating. It was like he'd upset her somehow, but he didn't understand how. Perhaps he could talk to her in private later.

He got a chance straight after breakfast, when Bran got Hodor to saddle two horses for them. Rue looked at hers apprehensively, and when she got on she dug her heels in hard, causin it to buck her off. Hodor caught her and put her back on the saddle and she eyed her reins nervously, not daring to do anything. Hodor took hold of her reins and led her out and all the while she looked terrified.

"Are you okay there?"

"Yeah, I-I guess. I've never riden a horse before. Our family couldn't afford one."

"You just take your reins - like this - and pull on them to steer. If you want to go faster, just dig your heels in _a little._" Rue decided to herself that she most definately did not want to go faster.

"So. What do you think of Winterfell?"

"It's lovely." There. Back to those distant, emotionless responses.

"Rue, is anything wrong?"

"Nothing. Bran, I'm... sorry."

"What?"

"Never mind." They rode on in silence for a bit longer.

"Where are you from?"

"I lived on - a farm." A small hesitiation. Not so big that it would normally catch his attention, but definately there. Rue was clearly uncomfortable with the subject. He decided not to press it.

"Race you to the stream. Bet ya can't beat me!"

"Uh... can I get off this horse? I'm terrified I'll fall if I so much as try to trot."

"Sure."

"Okay then - it is _on_!" Rue got off her horse, tied its reins to a nearby tree, and disappeared into the canopy as Bran spurred his horse onward into a gallop. He wished he could still swing from branch to branch the way he could see her on the few occasions he caught sight of her. _I remember racing Arya through this woods. She was faster on horseback and on her feet, but she could never beat me in a climbing competition._ He had reached the stream. Rue was still nowhere to be seen.

"I win." Nothing.

"Rue?" No reponse.

"_RUE!_" Still nothing. Then a pinecone hit him hard on the head. He looked up.

"Hey!" Rue had doubled over in fits of laughter on the top of the tree. If he had been able to get down of his horse he'd have splashed her, but he couldn't. More pinecones rained down on him. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!" Rue just laughed harder until a pinecone soared up towards her. She doged nimbly, then swung down of her branch. "Come get me, then!" Gathering all the pinecones he could he raced his horse on after her as she swung and dodged and ducked until she was out of sight again.

"Woohoo!" She called, then whistled a couple of noted. Bran followed her, throwing pinecones and ducking the ones thrown at him, until he heard another whistled from behind. He turned... and saw a bird flutter off, singing Rue's toon. Soon the whistles were everywhere and he could hear Rue giggling above him.

"Oh, seven _he_-" He began, but before he had time to finish he was showered once more with pinecones. Rue began to climb down - and Bran tossed the cones back one after the other, not giving her time to dodge them all. Rue groaned.

"I surrender, I surrender!" Bran grinned at her.

"Good. Then let me take you to the Godswood as my prisoner!" Gasping and out of breath, he realised he hadn't had this much fun since he had come here with Arya. They had played similar games, dodging and evading, but Arya had never played the bird trick on him. He also realised they had left Hodor behind.

"Aren't we _in_ the Godswood already?"

"No. The Godswood starts just after that. But we should probably get back to Hodor - I'm not allowed to go anywhere unaccompanied since the wildling incident, though how far Hodor counts as accompanyment I'm not sure." They rode in silence again but this time it was a friendly, companiable silence. Whatever the reason for which Rue had gotten upset that morning, it seemed to have passed. He decided to try again.

"How many siblings do you have at home?"

"Three." Monosyllabic answers again. Bran sighed. This was not going well. Rue didn't talk any more until the reached Hodor, and the silence became chilly again.

"Shall I show you the Godswood now?"

"If you wish."

When they reached it Rue shivered.

"Those trees with faces, they look... creepy. Let's get out of here." Bran was surprised at her reaction. Arya had always liked the Godswood.

* * *

When Hodor helped Bran of his horse and started carrying him towards his room, they ran into Jojen and Meera again.

"Bran. We want to talk to you. Alone." Once Rue left, Meera lowered her voice.

"Bran, is Rue Martell really Eddard's ward?" Bran would have liked to lie, but he felt they would have known.

"No."

"Is she even a Martell?"

"No."

"There's something of about her. When Jojen looks at her, he sees danger. Not to her, Bran. To you. He sees you getting sacrificed."

"She wouldn't hurt me. I know Jojen's a greenseer, but I trust Rue."

"What Jojen sees is the future, Bran. Sometimes it can be changed, but changes are hard to make. Bran, did Rue tell you everything about herself?"

"Yes... well... no."

"Be careful, Bran."

* * *

When Rue came to say good night, Bran stopped before she left.

"Rue... is there something you're not telling me?" Rue looked at him as if considering.

"What would you do for your brothers and sisters?" Bran thought about Robb, Arya, Sansa, Rickon, even Jon.

"Anything."

"So would I."

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**So? What did you think? Review review review! Please?**


	4. A Few Revelation

**Thank you to the other two people who reviewed. Keep them coming! Note: I want at least two more reviews before I update.**

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**-flashback-  
**

_Rue opened her eyes groggily. What was going on? The cannon had sounded. She had heard the cannon sound. That meant she should be dead, right? But she wasn't. She could see Capitol doctors hovering over her nervously. What the hell? No, she definitely was not dead.  
_

_A man stood up at the back of the room. Snow. This just kept getting more confusing every second.  
_

_"Rue. I'm glad to see you've regained consciousness. As you can see, I've rescued you from death in the arena. However, I expect you to do me a favour in return." He smiled that blood-curdling smile of his. "I hope you don't make me regret this decision. You see, your younger brother will turn twelve next year. Just a little incentive."  
_

**-end flashback-  
**

Rue shivered. She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes Snow was there, giving her instructions. She wanted to tell Bran. The day before she had come so close to slipping up and admitting her secret. But she couldn't. She had a family, back in Panem. A younger brother. Not that different from Bran... _Shut up, thoughts. Stop bothering me._ She crossed her arms. _Twelve more days. _She couldn't. She couldn't.

She almost wished she really had died in the arena. She wouldn't have had to worry about any of this then.

She didn't even _try_ to fall asleep again. Instead she lit a candle and placed it beside her bed, then wrap her arms around her knees and sat there, gasping out small sobs. Life in District 11 had been far from easy - indeed the Capitol had done everything in its power to make it hell on earth - but she had managed to make it livable, sometimes even pleasant. Then she had been entered in the Games and it had all gone downhill from there.

She glanced outside. It was still pitch black - she'd have hazarded a guess that it was about three am. She studied the room again. The desk at the table had a tangle of wool that was probably supposed to resemble some item of clothing, but really didn't. The chair was angled in a certain way, and no-one had thought to move it. For the first time she felt uncomfortable here. She was an intruder. She didn't belong here.

Rue sat like that for the rest of the night and waited for the sun to rise.

* * *

"I want to know what's going on."

Bran sat across from Rue, frowning at her.

"You admited last night that you had a secret."

"I did not-"

"You as good as."

"_Fine_. But I can't tell you! - That's why it's called a _secret._"

"You know everything about _me_ - _I _held nothing back from you - Rue, I just want to..."

"Want to _what_?"

"Please just..."

"You don't understand. It's not that I don't _want _tell you - I really and honestly _can't._ I _would_, I swear I would, but I - Bran, just..."

They stared at each other a while. Bran was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper."

He stood for a while and waited.

"And?"

Rue sighed.

"I'm sorry I was put in a situation I never wanted to be in and I'm sorry I'm being forced to make and impossible choice that must be made in twelve days time and I -"

She broke of abrubtly and clapped a had over her mouth.

"Rue -"

"Bran -"

"Look, Rue, maybe you have reason to be so secretive and maybe it's a very good one, but I can't know if you _don't tell me._"

She took a deep breath.

"It's either him or you and I've only known you for a few day. It should be an easy choice. I don't know why it isn't"

"Well, you see, you're talking and you're hinting at this big secret of yours but I have absolutely no idea what half of it means because you see I still know nothing whatsoever about _you_."

"I'll tell you."

"Last night, when you hinted at some secret, I thought you intended to tell me today. That's certainly what it seemed like. Why should I trust another half-promise?"

"I'll tell you _now_, the. I'm not entirely sure what's going on myself, but... I'll tell you as much as I can."

"That's enough, I suppose... and Rue? I really _am_ sorry I reacted the way I did."

"I... I'm sorry too I guess... okay, here goes. I'm from... somewhere else. Called Panem. It's a place split into twelve districts, ruled by the Capitol. Each year they have... Games... where two people from each district have to fight to the death in an arena. I was in them and I was supposed to have died, but somehow I didn't and the President - king, that'd be to you - asked me to complete a task for him with my brother's life on the line and I can't tell you anymore but for some reason you're important to him and I can't tell you aything else but... I'm not sure... and I don't know exactly what to do..."

"I think we can figure that out as long as you really do tell me everything."

"Maybe."

"I'm not going to get anything better than a maybe, am I?"

"No, you're not."

"All right, then."


End file.
